Rock Radio Scrapbook
AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of May 7, 2006
Weekly issue #375
Talent:
FRANK BENNY
Station: WGR Buffalo, N.Y.
Date: April 28, 1980
Time: 6:25
At one time, Frank Benny could be seen as well as heard in the Buffalo media. He was weatherman and "Bowling For Dollars" host on WGR-TV Channel 2 in the '70s. He was on WGR-AM for 19 years, first as morning man beginning in 1966, and continuing in afternoon drive in the '70s and '80s. In 1986, he left 'GR to become morning host at WYRK, and later moved to weekends at WBEN in 1988. An avid golfer, Benny left Buffalo's winter chill in 1989 for Florida radio and nice weather year-round.
Frank Benny died May 9, 2005 of complications of pneumonia at the age of 67.
Hear Benny on WGR in 1980 here.
(The Bill Dulmage Collection)
Talent:
TED MICHAELS
Station: CHSC St. Catharines, Ont.
Date: July 18, 1978
Time: 17:10
Robert Earl Redmond is well-known as the man who founded St. Catharines, Ont.-radio stations CHSC and CHSC-FM (later CHRE) in the late '60s, and several other stations. But one of his biggest contributions to the community had nothing to do with radio.
In 2003, Redmond donated $750,000 for urgently needed patient care equipment in the emergency room of St. Catharines General Hospital. In making the donation, Redmond said:
“Since the start of my broadcasting business in 1967, our community of Niagara has graciously accepted our AM and FM radio stations (CHSC 1220 AM, CHSC-FM, CHRE 105.7 FM). The success of my business was achieved through the listening audience and local business that always supported us. It is because of the tremendous response to all aspects of our broadcast business that I feel I am now in a position to give back to our community. Every family needs health care at one time or another and my family feels very strongly about this donation. We are very proud to be in the position to help the St. Catharines General Hospital Foundation purchase the urgently needed patient care equipment for the ER.”
Redmond's broadcasting roots run deep. A native of Cobalt, Ont., he got into the business in 1946 at the tender age of 16 at CJKL Kirkland Lake. He later moved to Roy Thomson-owned stations in Timmins and Peterborough. In 1958, he became vice-president of CHOW Welland. In the late '60s, Redmond launched CHSC and CHSC-FM (later CHRE) - the first simultaneous launch of an AM-FM combo in Canadian radio history. He later founded CKRY-FM Calgary, CJEZ-FM Toronto, and owned CHNR (now CHCD) Simcoe, Ont.
Redmond died May 7, 2005 in St. Catharines after a long illness. He was 76.
One of CHSC's long-time on-air mainstays has been Ted Michaels (now at CHML Hamilton). Enjoy an aircheck of Michaels here.
(The Don Shuttleworth Collection)